As the title suggests, I am wondering. Coming out of retirement, as it were, and have offer to bring along several horses for a friend. Will be taking title of assistant, leaving horses in owner/trainers name. Was told to recommend my pay to him, and I want to be reasonable yet fair to both of us...

As the title suggests, I am wondering. Coming out of retirement, as it were, and have offer to bring along several horses for a friend. Will be taking title of assistant, leaving horses in owner/trainers name. Was told to recommend my pay to him, and I want to be reasonable yet fair to both of us...

depends on the race track and trainer now tbreds we are talking some serious mammy jammy harness at calexpo 24 pack of beer and a 3 cans of chew a wk.

depends on the race track and trainer now tbreds we are talking some serious mammy jammy harness at calexpo 24 pack of beer and a 3 cans of chew a wk.

Based on my talks with them, they may not be able to afford me, not that I am HOF material, its just that to make a move from Florida to Saratoga harness, where purses are of CalExpo size, seems like stepping into a ton of work for little in return. The guy alluded to the fact he is thin on help, and one cannot compete with the top sheds unless all hands are in place to do the job as required.

Based on my talks with them, they may not be able to afford me, not that I am HOF material, its just that to make a move from Florida to Saratoga harness, where purses are of CalExpo size, seems like stepping into a ton of work for little in return. The guy alluded to the fact he is thin on help, and one cannot compete with the top sheds unless all hands are in place to do the job as required.

buggyboy I pay my groom one horse at Calexpo 10 a day 30 paddock and if the horse wins 100 bonus and if he is 2nd 50 bonus and if he just races good I go buy him pizza beer and a pack of cigarit cheap menthols.Also when able on sunday I take him to the Red Hawk buffet.I have the best groom their is in my opinion at Calexpo he can never do enough for the horses and I wish I could pay him more. If we get a purse increase maybe I will be able to. Good grooms and I mean a true groom are a rare as hens teeth at Calexpo. Very hard.Now the other day he called me and he told me about the wheather and he better get the blanket back on the horse now how many would give a rats platootress about that??

buggyboy I pay my groom one horse at Calexpo 10 a day 30 paddock and if the horse wins 100 bonus and if he is 2nd 50 bonus and if he just races good I go buy him pizza beer and a pack of cigarit cheap menthols.Also when able on sunday I take him to the Red Hawk buffet.I have the best groom their is in my opinion at Calexpo he can never do enough for the horses and I wish I could pay him more. If we get a purse increase maybe I will be able to. Good grooms and I mean a true groom are a rare as hens teeth at Calexpo. Very hard.Now the other day he called me and he told me about the wheather and he better get the blanket back on the horse now how many would give a rats platootress about that??

Good grooms ANYWHERE are worth gold imo. Going rate in top sheds is around $80.00 per head a week, and they rub 5-6 head each. A ton of work if done correctly. This guy I allude to has 2 girls on 16 head, and that just won't work for me, and I commented on that with him.

Not sure why he cannot keep/find help in Saratoga of all places, and this is a HUGE red flag for me.....

Good grooms ANYWHERE are worth gold imo. Going rate in top sheds is around $80.00 per head a week, and they rub 5-6 head each. A ton of work if done correctly. This guy I allude to has 2 girls on 16 head, and that just won't work for me, and I commented on that with him.

Not sure why he cannot keep/find help in Saratoga of all places, and this is a HUGE red flag for me.....

Buggy I cant agree with you more 2 girls 16 head is insane in the membrane. No way no how. That is not good horsemenship at all and obviously the trainer doesnot care one dang bit about quality. Now I would remind you I am know trainer just a possessssssssssed owner.

Buggy I cant agree with you more 2 girls 16 head is insane in the membrane. No way no how. That is not good horsemenship at all and obviously the trainer doesnot care one dang bit about quality. Now I would remind you I am know trainer just a possessssssssssed owner.

You guys make it all work for us in the long run. If willing to pay a fair wage, and supply equipment as needed, nothing beats a good owner. Assuming they don't always want to overstake, ect.....

Good grooms ANYWHERE are worth gold imo. Going rate in top sheds is around $80.00 per head a week, and they rub 5-6 head each. A ton of work if done correctly. This guy I allude to has 2 girls on 16 head, and that just won't work for me, and I commented on that with him.

Not sure why he cannot keep/find help in Saratoga of all places, and this is a HUGE red flag for me.....

top pay in fla at top stables $125 to $150 per head and rub 4 with $50 to $75 paddocks and 2 or 3% at the end of the year

top pay in fla at top stables $125 to $150 per head and rub 4 with $50 to $75 paddocks and 2 or 3% at the end of the year

Like to know who pays 150 a head while rubbing 4, and 3% to boot. Erv Miller pays $80+ 1% and you rub 5-6 in winter. Summertime he pays 105 and you rub 4-5 plus $50 paddocks, and thats while dashing for the stakes all the time. Seems all outfits at Spring Garden and Sorrento Oaks (Fla) are around the same, as I checked myself. Pompano aint runnin for that kinda money......

Like to know who pays 150 a head while rubbing 4, and 3% to boot. Erv Miller pays $80+ 1% and you rub 5-6 in winter. Summertime he pays 105 and you rub 4-5 plus $50 paddocks, and thats while dashing for the stakes all the time. Seems all outfits at Spring Garden and Sorrento Oaks (Fla) are around the same, as I checked myself. Pompano aint runnin for that kinda money......

most of the swede's, m-l,some may only pay 2% but most of the swedes pay 3%

When you cmmented on the main board about how many horses you would be in charge of I almost asked how many grooms per horse never expecting that answer. That's insane.

Actually that's about par for the course anymore... Not unusual to rub 6+ for $300 to $400 a week. Like I said, 20 yrs ago I was in charge of 9 babies out of 30+ total stable. Had 3 grooms under me on those 9. (Those grooms also made a decent wage and those horses got taken care of right.) I also took my turn shipping the racehorses with boss's rig. Brought home $500 to $700 a week ON the books. Nowadays with slot fueled purses they pay less?! Explain that to me, please.

Actually that's about par for the course anymore... Not unusual to rub 6+ for $300 to $400 a week. Like I said, 20 yrs ago I was in charge of 9 babies out of 30+ total stable. Had 3 grooms under me on those 9. (Those grooms also made a decent wage and those horses got taken care of right.) I also took my turn shipping the racehorses with boss's rig. Brought home $500 to $700 a week ON the books. Nowadays with slot fueled purses they pay less?! Explain that to me, please.

Told the guy what I hadta have, and that we needed 3 grooms on 16, minimum, and that would still put me on all of them by myself daily. Gonna need another guy to go in sets with, or we aint gonna have much of a program goin. Not gonna bust ass till feed time every day, and watch a bunch of babies get dragged around the track all year. In order to compete with the best on the grounds, an organized oufit needs to be run, and not some overworked, understaffed gyp outfit.